Sphagnum: "just add water"

The dried out sphagnum comes back to life when it is hydrated.  Can you see the colour difference?

before wetting

after pouring water on the area:  note the colour change.

wily coyotes and hummingbird babies

mother hummingbird feeds her baby
all photos copyright Gerry M

"I had quite the experience in the bog on Saturday afternoon. I was crouched on one knee on the platform waiting to snap a picture of the mother Anna's Hummingbird when she returned to feed her baby. I looked up when I saw a "dog" running towards me on the boardwalk and a cyclist riding close behind. I was just about to shout for him to put the dog on a leash when I realized it was a coyote. When the coyote saw me he turned to the cyclist, then back to me, and then jumped over the green plastic fencing in one bound. The picture is of the coyote scampering across the bog. Guess the fencing keeps dogs out but not coyotes.

    As you can see, I did get back to photographing the mother feeding her baby. It was as though my camera didn't want to provide me with a clear picture of mother and baby as all three I took were blurred. When the baby was alone the pictures were all crystal clear. However, for me, it was all worth the wait. It was a beautiful day in the bog.

    The nine volunteers who showed up for the work party on Saturday  worked really hard and got a lot done. We enjoyed the tea and goodies provided by Issaku.  Everyone seemed to enjoy the warm weather and each others company.  A job well done! "
                                                      -- Gerry M

baby hummingbird waiting for food

March 25th saw the first of the blueberry bushes flower and these might have been what the hummingbird was sipping from.  Imagine the sweetness of blueberry nectar.  no wonder the baby looks so content 

Dogs respect the dog fence (this photo: Susan)

not a dog 

    

Blueberry or Huckleberry?

“Blueberry or Huckleberry?”

Prince of Wales students are poring over a fine textured bush with thin, oval leaves. Sunlight filters through a stand of Hemlock and the air is deliciously fresh.

“Feel the stems, if they are round, it’s blueberry, squared, then it’s huckleberry”. Students strain to see carnivorous sundews nestled amongst the sphagnum moss. Some are examining Bog Laurel, and Labrador Tea, and that fine high arctic plant, Arctic Starflower. But they are nowhere near the arctic. They are doing a species inventory in biology class, in the middle of the city in a tiny bog rescued by the Camosun Bog Restoration Group.